Furniture made of wood, leather, upholstery and synthetic materials are
vulnerable to damage or degradation with age. Environmental factors
cause tears, stains, breakages, shrinking, warping, rips, cuts or
peeling off, with time.
- Light: Sunlight as well as artificial light causes bleaching and discoloration of furniture surfaces; these unwelcome changes become worse with time.
- Humidity: Relative humidity causes wood and coatings to expand and shrink unequally in places, causing cracks, splits, distortions and fractures.
- Insects: Ants, bees, wasps, termites, cockroaches and woodlarvae repeatedly bore through wood, causing it to weaken and/or display tunnelling holes.
- Rodents: Infestation of rodents may not be a common problem in most homes; however, even an occasional nocturnal visit of these creatures is enough to cause major damage.
- Mold: The interplay between humidity, temperature and airflow causes fungi to grow on the surfaces of furniture leading to stains or internal damage.
Furniture Care
Furniture care seems simple and easy to do, and yet it is rarely a regular practice. Curtains, drapes and shades keep light out, and a humidistat can help adjust temperature so that relative humidity is well maintained.
Ensuring that your furniture is exposed to enough cross ventilation, you can prevent fungal growth; regular hygiene and good habits can keep insects and rodents away. You should not keep exposed food on/near furniture, and should clean right away food spills.
Avoid as well placing hot or cold liquids or utensils on furniture without coasters or mats, as the surfaces and coatings may suffer damage.Nail polish removers, perfumes and alcoholic beverages can be harmful to furniture if spilt.
Why reupholstering is a good idea
With time, the tips given above lose their significance and effect gradually, leading inevitably to damage of furniture. Instead of investing in brand new ones, reupholstering your furniture is a better and much cheaper option.
- Cost: In general, reupholstering costs you less (around 60%) than buying new furniture, as long as there is no structural damage.
- Familiarity: One of the things that make you feel at home is the comforting feel of old furniture. Reupholstering will help you preserve that comfort while overcoming minor issues with your furniture.
- Quality issues: Older and larger furniture came with heavy quality frames, high-density foam, padding and sturdy springs, all of which were designed for a long life. In contrast, newer furniture has shorter life span and may require more repairs and costlier maintenance.
- Updating to new trends: Reupholstering gives you an opportunity to retain the original item but experiment with the fabric, design or colours in keeping with current trends.
Tips on reupholstering your sofas
- Experiment with cushions: Avoid two-tone upholstery and stick to one colour. For brightness and contrast variations, use pillows and cushions.
- Avoid stripes and large checks: These can look repulsive when the fabric is stretched to fit the sofa. If you do not like plains, use fabric with small and repetitive motifs.
- Keep pets off the sofas: Claws and nails of pets, as well as humidity from their breath, can damage sofa fabrics.
Reupholstering your sofa may not be a complex task, but it requires some finesse, experience and expertise. It is best to engage the services of a professional agency that will do a good job on time, and ensure better value for your money.
